Pages of the Past: Don’t close the road… bridge… hot spring!

1 year ago

From the archives of the Roaring Fork Valley Journal

Aug. 25, 1977

Several years of litigation came to a close when a judge ordered the sale of some 90 residential lots that were part of the defunct Marble Ski Area. The envisioned resort community might have had a population of up to 20,000 during peak seasons, but the company ended up filing for bankruptcy after drawing opposition from local environmentalists and state commissions alike. (There now numerous homes in the area.)

In other news… Costilla County Cookie Champion Marian Carter shared her assertion that the reason the price of cookies keeps going up “is that the Democratic Congress spends money it doesn’t have.”

Aug. 27, 1987

The Highway Department was reportedly seriously considering leasing the public right of way around Penny Hot Spring to adjacent landowners who opposed nudity at the spring. The Grange family, who owned land across the river had already bulldozed the old bathhouse and complained about indecent exposure at the springs and trespassing by waders. Roy Rickus, the unofficial architect of the pool, countered that it was “sacrilege” to wear a swimming suit there. At the time, no tickets had been issued and the right of way remained public.

In other news… The Cattlemen’s Association’s closure of a road between the old Marion townsite and Four Mile alarmed the Sopris Snowriders (but they eventually came to an agreement).

Aug. 28, 1997

The aging Satank bridge was closed to pedestrians after a county inspection deemed the 100 foot span unsafe. Vehicular traffic had already been barred for several years, although residents reported that some motorcyclists might be using it. Attempts to shore up the untreated timbers over the years had met with middling success, and Garfield County Road and Bridge Supervisor King Lloyd suspected it would be torn down within 15 years. (In fact, the bridge underwent a complete restoration and is now once again open to pedestrians, though not cars.)

In other news… In his “Life Cycles” column Steve Wolfe proposed a road biking route to Aspen that bypassed Highway 82 (years before the Rio Grande trail would make it easy).

Aug. 30, 2007

Carbondale Middle School was unexpectedly staying put due to asbestos mitigation in the old Roaring Fork High space. The district was working to hunt down modulars to accommodate the addition of the fifth grade, which had previously been part of the elementary school. CMS staff remained positive as they unpacked boxes in the same rooms where they had packed them the previous week, with Principal Cliff Colia referring to the hiccup as “just a little distraction.” Added language arts teacher Adam Carballeira, “If I have four walls and a roof, then I can teach.”

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In other news… Carbondale Trustees gave conditional approval to a plan for the 26-unit Mountain Sage Townhomes between Main Street and Colorado Avenue.